I believe the councillors and council are being unfair to the ratepayers of Tauranga by calling the proposed stormwater charge, of 4.70 per cent, a levy - when in reality it is nothing else other than a rate rise resulting in a proposed rate increase of at least 6.7 per cent for the 2014/2015 financial year.

Call it what you want, but when it is in place there is no doubt it will remain there forever - as stormwater issues will always be affecting the city and regardless of this they are saying it will be in place for 10 years.

The last election resulted in a huge change of existing elected representatives and those elected were elected on the basis of better accountability, better communication, debt reduction, revitalisation of the CBD along with better financial controls - but are we actually seeing this in reality?

As an example, the recent decision to give the council CEO greater spending powers is a clear example of a failure to control possible future spending and I am staggered it was unanimously passed by the councillors.

While it is important to give these new councillors a chance to get to know the role they have been elected to, I feel sure some could do better.

Mike Baker, Bethlehem.